Brad Bird Considering ‘Here There Be Monsters’ As Next Project

Most will agree that Brad Bird‘s first entry into the wide world of live-action cinema — Ghotocol, I mean — went rather swimmingly, if you’ll allow me to use that term. So, with his non-animated capabilities being more or less solidified as a legitimate thing, we can (thankfully) go forward with this news in a level-headed fashion.

According to Vulture, Bird is considering a new film for himself — and it isn’t a Mission: Impossible sequel. Instead, it’s Here There Be Monsters, a Brian Helgeland-scripted piece of revisionist history that follows Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones, who’s been “wrongly stripped of his British naval commission and hired by a shipping magnate to investigate the disappearance of his merchant ships in the North Atlantic.” From here, he and his naval command encounter sea monsters, which they’re forced to fend for their lives against. I’m not Revolutionary War expert (my interest in American history begins around the 1820’s, to be honest), but, yeah — that’s revisionist history.

Nothing’s set in place, but it’s noted that the helmer is “meeting with Legendary brass about the project,” one which previously had Robert Zemeckis and Paul Greengrass circling (though that obviously didn’t go anywhere). Something I consider sort of funny when taking that trio into account: While I would prefer that Bird crafts another tale of Ethan Hunt and his constantly-framed super team, he’s easily my top pick to handle Monsters. Greengrass doesn’t do “fantasy” material (I could put a Bourne joke here, but who cares), while Zemeckis needs to get back on his feet with an old-fashioned drama — which is why we have Flight hitting in the fall. Bird‘s far more suited for the effects show than either of them; and, for good measure, we know he can hold his own with real, live actors. I don’t know how much this really means when all is said and done, but take that for what it is.

Would you like to see Bird helm Monsters? Is another Mission: Impossible more enticing to you?